Angelina Joliehas been one of Hollywood’s biggest stars for nearly 30 years, and it was her performance in a 1995 cult classic that makes it so memorable today. After appearing in several critically acclaimed films in the latter half of the 1990s, including her Oscar-winning turn inGirl, Interrupted, Jolie became a bona fide movie star in the 2000s. Action films likeGone in 60 SecondsandLara Craft:Tomb Raiderestablished her as a box office draw, and she would continue to headline many notable financial hits well into the 2010s.
Though her output has slowed somewhat in the last decade, Jolie is stillcapable of turning in a stunning performancewith an emphasis on character. In fact, her ability to fully embody her role was always Jolie’s greatest strength, and even her more action-oriented films allowed her to show off her charisma first and foremost. Angelina Jolie’s early career is often overshadowed by her blockbuster hits from the 2000s, but it was the movies she made in the 1990s that truly illustrated her strengths. Her first starring role was largely forgotten, but it is now considered a cult classic.
Angelina Jolie’s Hackers Is Getting A Well-Deserved Reappraisal
The 1995 Cult Classic Is Finally Being Recognized
It attempts to capture the rising internet culture, and it also crosses paths with the dissatisfied and angsty youth of the ’90s.
Angelina Jolie’s first ever starring role came in 1995’sHackers, and though the techno-thriller bombed at the box office, it is now becoming a cult classic. The 1990s were filled with plenty of movies that tried to cash in on the rise of personal computing, but almost all of them come off as cheesy or dated. WhileHackersisn’t immune to that same assessment,the film outshines its contemporaries because it is so ultra-modern (for the time). It attempts to capture the rising internet culture, and it also crosses paths with the dissatisfied and angsty youth of the ’90s.
Hackersgrossed $7.5 million against a reported budget of $20 million (viaBox Office Mojo).
The movie is undoubtedly over-the-top, but that is part of its appeal.Hackersnever tries to hide what it is, and it embraces the most ridiculous aspectsof its story. 1990s sci-fi films often tried too hard to be very serious and reserved, butHackersgoes for gusto in both its visuals and its storytelling. There’s also an element of research that went into the script, with many of the movie’s ideas being lifted from the real-lifeHacker Manifestoby Lloyd Blankenship. Thoughit still doesn’t get everything right, the effort to understand computer culture is worth applause.
Critics didn’t likeHackerswhen it came out, butit has since become a cornerstone of what’s been referred to as “Hacksploitation”. The movieperfectly sums up the ‘90sattitude, and with nostalgia at an all-time high,Hackershas come back into vogue. The fashions are hyperstylized, and the lingo is sometimes cringe-inducing, but it’s what the film represents that makes it such an important cult classic. It overdoes its hacking concept, but some aspects of the film have come to fruition in the 30 years since its release. It isn’t perfect, butHackersgets better with age.
Angelina Jolie’s Kate Is The Standout Part Of Hackers (& A Big Reason It’s Now A Cult Classic)
Though she wasn’t the lead character inHackers, it only takes a few minutes for it to become abundantly clear thatAngelina Jolie’s Kate “Acid Burn” Libby is the real star. Not only is she given the most interesting outfits and the wittiest dialogue, but Jolie acts circles around extremely talented co-stars like Matthew Lillard and Jonny Lee Miller. Her ability to elevate the material not only shows off her potential star-power, but is also the only reason that anyone even remembersHackers.Kate isn’t a conventional ’90s female lead, and she isn’t even a conventional ’90s rebelgirl either.
On paper, Kate comes off like a bundle of cliches and manic pixie dream girl energy, but Jolie takes the caricature and turns her into a character. The script tries to poke fun at Kate’s obsession with seeing Dade in a dress, butJolie’s performance takes Kate’s gender obfuscation entirely seriously. Her performance actually hearkens back to part of theHacker Manifestowhere the hacker exists without race, class, or other demographically distinguishable features. Jolie put a lot of effort into what was an otherwise disposable movie, and there’s a reason she snagged an Oscar only a few years later.
It’s not unusual for a future star to appear in oddball movies early in their career, and that always lends them cult classic status as novelties. However, Jolie’s appearance inHackersisn’t some strange piece of her early filmography, but instead shows that she can transform anything into a standout performance.Angelina Joliemay have gone on to bigger and better things, butHackersdeserves to be fondly remembered.
